18 November 2012

how to - shipping a camshaft!

In my continuing saga of shipping stuff for more money then the value of the POS,
here is a good trick to ship camshafts.
ford 8ba camshaft




















This was from that 8ba flathead engine that was just junked.
Even though it was a stock no frills grind,
it was too nice to scrap.
ford fiber camshaft gear




















As usual the guy who wanted it was far away,
Texas this time.
Great.
So I searched and found a shipping trick.
wrapped




















First off was to disassemble the gear,
and wrap up the stick to keep it from getting rusty or scratched.
Now to find a surprisingly expensive piece of plastic pipe.
Jeez,  I've tossed longer sections of this stuff.
I'm all for saving the earth and all,
but $8 for a 2 foot section of ABS is ridiculous.
Dang oil by-products.
Who knew there was a market for precut 2 foot pieces?
cushiony wrap




















The cam was wrapped up in a series of paper and tape layers.
Not too loose and not too tight.
bulletproof




















With everything jammed into the pipe,
it would have been so much easier to stick a label on it,
and send it out.
That dang cam gear screwed up that plan.
I could have sent it separate,
but this was getting expensive enough as it is.
siamese boxes




















I don't buy stuff to have a box selection stashed away.
Okay that is a partial lie I do have alot of boxes for some reason.
None that were 2 feet long though.
USPS gives away priority boxes though,
and since this was getting shipped by them,
I couldn't see a problem doubling up 2 to fit.
custom boxed

















This was taking way longer then planned,
but it didn't stop there.
There was a big price difference between priority and parcel post,
and it is important to have a plain wrapper,
just to have the option to go either way.
With the box gift wrapped in butcher paper,
we were finally ready.
Macey - shipping assistant

























So much work!
There was literally more money in shipping and handling,
then the cost of the friggin camshaft!
$25  not including time.
At least it was going to arrive safely,
and I've got a better idea of what not to do next time.

I hope it gets used in an engine and not a hot rod show trophy!

TP

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